A World in Ashes
by The Epic Jones
Summary: Mason Marcs is one of the last few survivors in a small community that has survived a couple years into the apocalypse. However, a series of events begin that causes his entire community to be caught in the crossfire and his entire survival situation is at stake. Author created/original characters.


Chapter 1

The warmth from the sunlight feels good for a brief moment against my face as I slowly wake up. I run a hand through my dark blonde hair as I sit up, my grey t-shirt somewhat clinging to my body as I get out of bed. I walk over to my small closet and grab a pair of darker jeans, pulling them up on and buttoning them as I look across my room. On the wall hangs a small painting. It's a simple one, flowers within a vase, hung on a single nail. There's a crack in the wall behind it, which I've come to guess is the only reason the painting is even there. I pull on my worn shoes and lace them up, running a hand over my mouth as I look out a window on the wall adjacent to my bed. Grabbing a black blazer as I step outside my house, I look up and down the street to see my settlement already relatively busy. People of all ages together in unity, helping each other survive in a world filled with the risen undead. It's been five years since the apocalypse has started...but wait, where are my manners?

My name is Mason Marcs, and this is my home.

I take a few steps out towards the center of the street before I'm greeted by a handshake from one of the residents.

"Hey, Mase," Caleb says, extending his hand. I take it and give him a shake, glancing down the street as I try to take in what jobs are already being tended to.

"Hey Caleb," I respond. "Not many people taking to the fences today?"

"Haven't had much of a reason to keep our defenses overstocked. Last attack was about five months ago," Caleb says with a cocky grin, patting me on the shoulder as he does so.

"And even then it was just walkers…" I say, remembering how no humane threat has appeared in nearly a year. Just thinking of danger causes me to instinctively reach behind me and grab the Colt I have holstered on the back of my belt. I let my hand drop as I remember that I'm safe, finally regaining my composure as two others walk up to Caleb and I.

"Scott, Otto, how's it goin'?" I ask them.

"Could be better," Otto responds, an empty jerry can at his side. "Scouting vehicles are getting low on gas, Miles asked us to head out."

"You do know Miles isn't in charge, right?" Caleb asks him.

"Scares the piss out of me to the point I'm willing to listen," Scott responds, now raising his own jerry can. "I'm sure Neal doesn't mind a guy who's able to make people get to work. Listen, we need more bodies for this run…" Scott tilts his head a little. "Can you two help or not?"

"I suppose so," I muster up, slightly quicker on the draw than Caleb who looked like he was planning on coming up with some form of excuse for why we couldn't help them. I get shot a cold glare, one that I easily shake off as I take Otto's can and turn, the four of us now headed towards the gate. As we walk I look to my left and see Meghan and Travis talking a couple in their late fifties that just so happen to be the people I consider to be my in-laws. Wherever Emily, my lover of two years, may be...I don't know, but I'm sure she's fine. She's a tough gal who's made it in this world for just as long as I have. I'm lucky to have her, and there isn't a huge age difference like some relationships I've seen in the apocalypse. She's only twenty nine as opposed to me being thirty.

"Open One!" I hear yelled from above by a female voice. I look up to see Amanda commanding a few of the guys to pry open the giant wooden gate for us. I nod with a small smirk while he returns with a serious nod. The four of us depart as I hear "Close One!" behind us, followed by the sound of the gate closing and the quietness of the outside world beginning to set in. Our "community" isn't overly extensive, but we do have a fair amount of people. Around fifty people or so, so that way the supplies aren't so spaced out. But now we're outside the barriers, and we're in no man's land.

"Why do we even make these runs?" I hear Scott ask from behind me as we trudge up the road. "Don't we mainly use horses now anyways? All the gas around here is basically dried up."

"It's a precautionary measure," I assure him as we continue our trek. "Even if we do get all the gas, at least we know for sure so that way some ravagers don't get some of our score."

There's a rustling noise as we finally make it onto a small street somewhere right on the outskirts of some small town. A lone walker has bumped into a car, and now makes its way towards us. I almost reach for my pistol, but instead force my hand over to the other side of my belt. I unsheath my knife and plant it in the walker's head, leaving it there only for a moment to ensure the job is done. As soon as the undead goes limp, I withdraw my knife and put it back in its pouch.

"Come on, Mason, this place is dry," Caleb tells me as he finishes scoping out the last car. "Let's just head back. It's a far enough walk as it is and it'll get dark soon."

I nod, assuring them that we're about to head back. As we turn around, I hear a faint engine noise. The others do too, and with a swift gesture of my hand to a nearby parked car, we duck behind it. The engine comes to a halt, as I look around the car I notice that the vehicle is a motorcycle. A younger black man gets off of it, short facial hair covering his face while he appears to be in nothing else by a black hoodie and brown colored pants, all accented by what I believe to be boots. He enters one of the houses and begins rummaging around. It's at this point I hear more engines, followed by a pickup truck pulling in behind the house. Behind us, however, I hear a regular, smaller compact car pull in the street. I turn around and see it through the shrubbery, hearing a door slam as footsteps approach a house close to the area behind us.

"Mason, we gotta move NOW," Otto half whispers, half yells at me. I nod in agreement.

"If we just get up and go they're gonna spot us," I explain. "We need to use the cover of the houses to make it out of here."

"Which house did that guy go into?" Scott asks me through gritted teeth, and it's at this point I notice I wasn't paying attention to WHICH house it was. I turn back to him.

"I'll take the one directly behind us. Scott, Otto, you take the sides. Caleb, take the one to the right of Scott. If we can all slither through unseen we can still make it out."

It's at this point the groans become apparent. I look around the car yet again to see a herd heading towards the street from the opposite side, just ahead of the house the black man went into.

"If we're gonna move, we gotta do it now," I explain, motioning towards the herd as the four of us turn and begin our journeys. I open the screen door and crouch inside, taking inventory around me. I creep all the way through the house, making it to the back door when I hear a faint gasp. I turn to my left to see a woman in the room next to me. I guess she was the one who got out of the car. I put my index finger of my left hand to my lips, telling her to be quiet. I see her raise her gun, which causes me to pull mine. I aim at her, pleading with my eyes for her to put her gun down. She raises the pistol towards the air and fires into the ceiling, causing no damage. However, the shot alone causes me to react, firing and putting a bullet in her neck. She begins gagging on her own blood, eventually losing consciousness.

"Hey, over there!" I hear shouted from the road. The black man and another guy are now firing at the herd, but a third man turns around notices Otto darting out the back door. He and Caleb both hop into the small compact car, which apparently had the keys within it. Not seeing either me or Scott, the two speed off back towards camp. I slam my hand on the door, frustrated that I just killed an innocent woman and that I just got abandoned.

As did Scott.

Who I can't find.

"Scott…" I whisper to myself before I hear a shout behind me.

"Grab him!" I turn around to see the white man dragging Scott towards the black man. Apparently he was chased into his house and captured, and now is getting his hands bound behind his back. The black one puts a bag over his head and throws him in the back of the truck, but it's at this point he notices me through the window as I watch it go down.

"Hey, there's another one in that hou-"

I open fire and catch him in the chest, causing him to stumble back. As he does, a walker bites into his neck, causing blood to come pooling out. His partner sees this and immediately abandons hope for his comrade, hopping into the truck and driving off as Scott attempts to wiggle free from his binds. I run through the door and fire off a few shots, not managing to hit the truck as it speeds off the opposite direction of where Otto and Caleb went. At this point, it comes to my attention that the walkers are now headed my direction as they follow the sound of my shots. I sprint towards the motorcycle the two men left and thank God that they left the keys in the ignition. I turn them as the engine revs to life, but am startled as a walker grabs my arm. I manage to shove it off, followed by kicking another one back. I quickly storm off on the motorcycle, following the road as I make my way back to the settlement.

Something tell me this won't go down well.


End file.
